Unwilling Accomplice
by Shergar
Summary: Danny is snatched on a night out, but who has taken him and why?
1. Chapter 1

Unwilling Accomplice.

The girl was pretty and the night was warm and Danny Williams was in no hurry to get home. He wasn't in the mood for drinking and the floor show was pretty good, so he stayed, nursing a single beer. He was pretty sure the girl thought he was a tourist, but he didn't mind. As long as she didn't try to fleece him; then he would put her straight.

In this crowd, he was just another guy having a drink at the end of a long week, or a tiring day's sun bathing or sight-seeing. Elena seemed interested in him and he was between relationships at the moment, so he had nothing to lose. It was a pleasant way to spend an evening, even if Elena did jokingly complain that he wasn't earning her many tips with his drinking habits.

Her shift finished about 11.30 and she and Danny left arm in arm. He had to be at work early the next morning, but it was nice to be walking and talking with a pretty girl. While he didn't tell her what it was he did, he did say he lived on the island. After some flirting, Elena said she had better be getting home or her family would worry. "I'll walk you home," Danny offered and was pleased when Elena smiled.

It wasn't far to her home from the club, but the area was not the best. The housing was of the poorer variety that was often seen among the workers who earned the bare minimum. Danny wondered that her family let her walk home alone to this district, but it was none of his business.

She stopped by a small house. A light burned in the window. "This is it," she smiled. "Thank you for walking me home. I enjoyed it."

"I did, too," Danny agreed. "Perhaps I could see you again?"

The quick glance she cast at the house told him that her family might not be too pleased that she was going out with a Haole. He felt a slight twinge of regret, but nothing more. "I'd like that, but…"

"It's all right," he assured her. "I understand." He glanced at the window, but could see no one looking. He bent his head and gave her a gentle kiss. She returned it with enthusiasm. "Good night," Danny smiled.

"Good night," she echoed and hurried up the path. Danny watched her go, then turned and started to retrace his steps.

As Elena closed the door a hand fastened around her arm with bruising force. "What do you think you're playing at?" her older brother hissed.

"What do you mean?" she stuttered.

"Him!" Kanani gestured to the street. "Why did you bring him here?"

"He just walked me home," Elena replied, perplexed.

"You stupid girl! Don't you know who he is?" Kanani looked furious and behind him she could see one of his friends.

"His name is Danny and I met him in the club tonight," Elena retorted. "So what? What is it to you?"

Kanani shook her. "He's the second in command at 5-0, that's all!" he spat.

"So what?" Elena repeated.

"I've got to go out," Kanani declared. "Go to bed. You're never to see him again, do you hear?"

"I hear," Elena replied and watched as her brother beckoned to his friend and the pair disappeared outside. She heard the pickup's engine start and then they drove away. Kanani was often out at this time of night and she didn't know what he was doing. Elena didn't want to know; it was safer that way.

It was a nice night for a walk, which was just as well as Danny had a bit of a trek to reach his car. He smiled ruefully at the gallant gesture that had caused the walk. It was a shame he wouldn't see Elena again, but there were plenty more pretty girls on the island. His thoughts drifted as he walked. The streets were pretty much deserted of both people and traffic. Danny had seen one drunk staggering down the street a short time ago and had received a cheery wave, which he returned, smiling.

From somewhere behind him, a rough car engine impinged on his peace, but Danny didn't glance round. The engine sounded as though it needed some serious work done to it, but that was none of his concern. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost 12.30am. He wasn't going to get much sleep that night, but he was young and sleep was often over-rated by the young.

The car he had heard stopped just beside him and Danny was just glancing round to look at it when a dark figure leapt from the car and something struck him a solid blow on the side of the head. He staggered, seeing stars, and crumpled to his knees, not knocked out, but seriously dazed. His hand fumbled for the gun he carried even when off duty, but his fingers weren't receiving the proper messages from his brain.

A piece of fabric was dropped over his head and before Danny could start to rally and defend himself, he felt hands searching his pockets and his gun was lifted from the holster and his handcuffs were securing his hands behind his back. He tried to get to his feet, but it was a hopeless task. His assailant allowed him to get so far up, then punched him heavily in the stomach. He folded in half and a blow to the back of the neck ended his resistance. When he was next fully aware, he was lying in what felt like the trunk of a car, with the hood over his head, his hands cuffed behind him and his feet tied.

And he had no idea who had grabbed him or why.


	2. Chapter 2

The members of Five-0 were meeting to discuss the upcoming exercise that was planned across all the emergency services to practice for the arrival of a dignitary like the President and dealing with any protests that there might be along the way. Groups of 'protestors' had already been selected from the general population to give everyone the experience necessary in policing large groups. It was something that was done on a fairly regular basis and there was always an element involved that was determined to give the police a real workout and cause real trouble. A list of the people who had volunteered this time had already been given to the police and they were checking into the backgrounds of them all.

"Where's Danny?" Steve McGarrett asked. It was just past 7am and the sun was already shining brightly out of a clear blue sky.

"He must be running late," Kono offered. "Maybe got some car trouble, or slept in. He'll be here." Danny was seldom late and Kono supposed that he was entitled to one lapse.

"Well, we'll just start without him and he'll have to catch up," Steve decided. He was rather annoyed that Danny was late. This stuff was important. He would be having words with young Mr Williams when he decided to show up. This meeting had been scheduled for some time and tardiness this morning was not acceptable.

The briefing began, but there was still no sign of Danny. Chin Ho was talking about the various people on the volunteer list, but Steve realised that he hadn't heard a single word for quite some time. He blinked and focused on what Chin was saying, but it was no use. Another glance at the clock showed him it was gone 8.30 and Danny's absence was making alarm bells ring.

Dragging his gaze from the photo of a young Hawaiian man that was being projected onto the wall, Steve reached for the phone and punched in Danny's number. It started ringing at the other end, which was something of a relief, but as it rang and rang and rang, Steve began to grow more and more anxious.

By now, Chin had stopped talking and both he and Kono were watching Steve. "No answer," the big man grunted unnecessarily. "Put out a call for Danny's car. Something isn't right. The briefing will have to wait a little longer." Steve glanced at the picture on the wall for a second before he shut it off.

It was a pity he hadn't looked at it more closely, for it was the picture of the man who had kidnapped Danny Williams the night before.

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It had been a lengthy and nightmarish trip for the young detective. He slid helplessly around the back of what he now knew was a truck, banging off the side walls as it swung wildly around corners. With his feet bound, he couldn't get any leverage to stop himself moving and he was unable to shake the hood from his head. He was bruised and miserable by the time the noisy engine died.

Rough hands grabbed him and threw him to the ground. While he was still gasping for breath, his feet were untied and he was dragged off, held by someone on each side, struggling to get his feet beneath him, hoping that something would happen that would give him the edge he needed to escape. Nothing did.

The ground beneath his feet was soft and yielding and he correctly guessed that it was sand. It slid between his toes at every step, adding to his discomfort. After a few minutes, it gave way to more solid ground and he could hear things crunching beneath their feet. From the things that brushed against him, Danny guessed they were in a forest somewhere. His foggy mind sought to figure out where they were, but he failed.

They were climbing up now, Danny being hauled along, slipping, sliding and tripping over things he couldn't see. He was relieved when they came to a stop and he was thrown to the ground. He was panting from the exertion and fear, but he was allowed no chance to catch his breath. He was yanked into a sitting position and his back placed against something sturdy. He felt the rough bark beneath his fingers.

Before he could marshal his resources, he felt his feet being bound again. He resisted, kicking out and tried to push himself to his feet using the tree as leverage, but one of his captors backhanded him viciously across the face and he fell to his side. His feet were swiftly secured and then he was propped back against the tree and tightly tied to it.

The hood was snatched from his head and Danny blinked in the wavering light of a couple of flashlights. He licked his bleeding lip. "Who are you?" he asked. "Why are you doing this?"

"You Haole pig!" one of the men spat, getting right into Danny's face. "You mess with my sister!"

"I walked her home!" Danny protested and got punched for it. Shaking his head to clear it, he doggedly continued, "I didn't do anything to her." He had guessed from Elena's attitude that her family wouldn't welcome her involvement with a haole man, but this violence was excessive.

"You were pumping her for information," the man accused him. "Admit it."

"What?" That didn't make any sense to Danny. The man who crouched by his side was Hawaiian, but he had never seen him before. He couldn't make out the features of the other man, who kept the flashlight trained on his face.

If Danny had been able to see the other man, his heart would have sunk. Kanani had no record to speak of, but his friend was well known to the police on the island. He went by the single name of Eddie and he had a rap sheet as long as your arm. He had been in trouble for everything from armed robbery to rape, but had somehow managed to slither out of the more serious charges by making deals. He had done some time, but not as much as would be expected for his rap sheet. He had had a variety of accomplices, most of who were now banged up for the crimes that Eddie had master-minded. Kanani was useful at the moment. When he stopped being useful, Eddie would get rid of him.

Meantime, Eddie was wondering if Kanani hadn't been over reacting. The younger Hawaiian was a hothead, which made him perfect for the plan Eddie had in mind. They had been drinking this evening while going over the plan and when Kanani saw Elena with the cop, he had put two and two together and it looked like he might have come up with less than four for an answer. This cop didn't seem to know what Kanani was talking about, but perhaps he was just dazed from the blow to the head, or perhaps he was cleverer than he looked. Imperiously, he gestured Kanani aside and, handing the flashlight to the other man, he crouched by Danny.

There was no question that Danny knew who he was. He flinched back, his eyes widening. "Eddie!" he exclaimed.

Five-O had been trying to pin Eddie down for years and each time, he had managed to slither free. He was one of the top men on the wanted list and to suddenly find himself Eddie's prisoner was scary. Danny had intimate knowledge of what Eddie had done to other captives in the past and there was nothing comforting about that knowledge. While he had been scared and confused before, Danny was now even more confused and absolutely terrified, although he was determined not to show it. Danny swallowed dryly. He had seen Eddie's face; he was as good as dead already.

The big Hawaiian smiled. It was not a pleasant expression. Kanani had jumped the gun, but Eddie could see possibilities. He had been planning to use Kanani as a walking bomb – what would later become known as a suicide bomber – but for Kanani it wouldn't be suicide. He would not know what he was carrying as he went about disrupting the crowd during the exercise the emergency services were planning. Kanani would be killed, and possibly so would many others. Now, Eddie decided that Kanani would still die, unknowing, but this pig would be by his side and would know what was going to happen.

Right now, he didn't know how he would keep the cop quiet in the crowd, but he would think of something. "You were getting too close," Eddie told the blond detective. "But you picked the wrong girl. Elena knows nothing about the hit. Too bad for you, though. You ain't never gonna tell McGarrett what you know."

It was all Danny could do not to protest his innocence, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn't have a clue what hit Eddie was talking about, but perhaps he could learn and then he would be able to tell Steve when he managed to escape. He glared at Eddie.

"We're gonna keep you here," Eddie told Danny, his voice a sibilant, scary whisper. "Then you're gonna die at my hand, but nobody's gonna know that it was me. You'll be just another cop gone bad."

"You won't get away with it," Danny declared, although he knew that his statement sounded ludicrous, bound the way he was. "Someone will find me."

"Don't count on it," Eddie crooned and reached out to stroke Danny's cheek in an obscenely gentle way. He smiled as Danny froze and quickly checked his captive's bonds, then ripped a long piece from the tail of Danny's Hawaiian shirt and used it to gag the young detective, backhanding him several times as he tried to resist. He rose to his feet and he and Kanani left Danny alone in the dark.


	3. Chapter 3

"We found Danny's car," Kono announced, popping his head around Steve's door.

"Where?" the big man demanded, getting to his feet. He had been waiting impatiently for word on Danny and brooding about his missing man. Danny was not the type to just not turn up. He might be ill and unable to get to his phone, or else something had happened to him. An officer was checking his apartment right now, but Steve knew, from the sinking feeling in his gut, that something had happened to Danny. He could only hope that his young friend was still alive.

"It's parked downtown in a public car park, walking distance from several clubs. HPD says the car is locked and untouched."

"You go down and check it out," Steve ordered. "Take a photo of Danny and go round the clubs. Find out if he went to any of them."

"Right." Kono didn't waste any words. Steve obviously thought Danny was in trouble and Steve was generally right.

Once more, Steve went back to his brooding.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The night passed uncomfortably for the young detective. The gag was not too cruel, but he was unable to get it out of his mouth. His battered body ached, but his mind had cleared. He still had no idea what 'hit' Eddie was referring to, but he knew he needed to get free to let Steve know. It concerned him that Eddie had left him alive. That didn't bode well. It most likely meant that Eddie was going to kill him in a public place, in a way that would cause as much disruption as possible.

Against the odds, Danny dozed for several hours, his battered body requiring the rest. When he jerked awake, he realised that it had not all been a bad dream. However, his subconscious mind had been working overtime and he was suddenly sure he knew what Eddie intended to do. He must be planning something to disrupt the exercise that was planned for the following day! Danny knew it was imperative that he let Steve know and renewed his struggles to get free.

He was no more successful than he had been the first time around. His hands were cuffed behind his back with his own cuffs, then rope was tied around his arms and the tree, then around his body. The knot was smack in the middle of his chest, beyond the reach of his arms and with the gag in place, he couldn't even try to work it with his teeth, assuming he could contort his body enough to get his teeth to the knot. His ankles were also tightly tied and it was only with the growing light that he realised his socks and shoes were gone. His feet hurt and he did have faint recollections of standing on sharp things as he was dragged here in the early hours of the morning.

His situation seemed hopeless, but Danny was determined to escape. He had no idea where he was, but that didn't matter at the moment. He would deal with that problem once he had sorted out the minor detail of untying himself. He began to feel around with his fingers, hoping that he would find a sharp stone that he could use to cut through the rope.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx 

"Danny was in the Tropic Club last night," Kono reported over the phone. "He left with one of the hostesses, Elena. I have her home address. Do you want me to go there?"

"I'll do it," Steve decided. He was sick of waiting; he needed some action. HPD had reported that Danny's apartment was untouched. That didn't surprise Steve. Whatever had happened to Danny had not happened at his home. "Give me the address." He jotted it down, then headed off to his car.

It was another beautiful day, but Steve couldn't appreciate it. His worries about Danny's whereabouts were growing by the minute. He hoped the hostess could help him. He pulled up in front of the small house and got out.

It took a couple of minutes of knocking before a dishevelled man opened the door. "Yeah?" He had clearly been woken by the knocking.

"McGarrett, 5-O," Steve said, showing his shield. "I want to speak to Elena."

"She ain't done nuthin'," the man declared.

"I didn't say she'd done anything," Steve agreed. "I just want to ask her a few questions." Behind the man, he could see a pretty young woman wrapped in a bathrobe. "Elena?" he asked, catching her eye.

"Yes?" She looked nervous, but that was often the reaction when the police came calling.

"I'm looking for this man," Steve explained, flashing a photo of Danny. "I believe you left the Tropic Club with him last night."

"That's right," she agreed easily, looking relieved. "He walked me home."

"What time did he leave here?" Steve asked.

"I'm not sure," Elena replied, looking nervous of a sudden. "What time did I get home, Kanani?" she asked the man.

"Midnight, or just after," he replied. He kept his eyes on McGarrett, who thought he looked vaguely familiar, although he couldn't think where he had seen the younger man before.

"Did Mr Williams come in?" Steve asked, sure that there was something here that would explain Danny's absence, although he had no idea what it might be. But the girl was giving off nervous vibes and the man was radiating anger and a certain smugness. Steve's antenna was twitching.

"What are you implying?" Kanani demanded. "My sister is a good girl!"

"I'm sure she is," Steve replied placatingly. "I just wondered if he had come in?"

"No," Kanani declared. "Is that all?" He was practically bristling now, moving his body to block any attempt Steve might make to break into their home.

"One more question," Steve replied. "Did you see which direction he went when he left you?"

"Back the way we came," Elena replied. "I think he said his car was parked back that way."

"Thank you." The door banged in his face almost before he had finished speaking.

Thoughtfully, Steve went back to his car. He was no further forward, but he was now very suspicious of Kanani and Elena. He headed back to the Iolani Palace to find out some more about this brother and sister.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

The sun filtered through the trees and beat down on Danny's unprotected head. While he was used to the heat and the sunshine, he was seldom out just sitting in it. He had found a stone, but the edge was not sharp enough to cut through the rope. He was too hot and very thirsty and discouraged. But he wasn't defeated. The stone lay on the ground just under his fingers. Danny intended to persevere. Surely the rope would start to fray from the constant rubbing? He just needed to rest, because the angle he had to use caused his wrists to chafe painfully against the handcuffs.

A sudden sound nearby jerked his head up from a doze and he yelled as best he could through the gag. It didn't travel very far, but the sounds grew nearer and Danny hoped against hope that this was rescue. He didn't care how it would look to anyone who found him. He wanted out of that position in the worst possible way.

It wasn't rescue that had come; it was Eddie.

Danny gazed defiantly at his captor, wondering where his sidekick was today. He tried to ignore the racing of his heart.

"So, pig, still here?" Eddie sneered. He crouched by Danny and checked the knots. He also removed the stone Danny had found, and brushed the area to get rid of any others. "You aren't going anywhere," he informed the cop. "Not till I want you to."

He smiled nastily, then untied the rope round Danny's body and hauled the cop to his feet. Danny was forced to hop clumsily on his bound feet for a few steps, then understood what Eddie was doing – he was allowing Danny to pee. It was humiliating in the extreme, but a huge relief, too. He was then dragged back to the tree and the rope once more bound around his arms and body. It seemed tighter this time and his struggles to resist just earned him more blows from the powerful man. He hoped that some water might be next, but that was a forlorn hope.

"Tomorrow," Eddie said, as he checked the rope around Danny's ankles, "you are going to come along to be part of the crowd at this exercise. You're going to be wearing several sticks of dynamite and you're going to kill quite a few people when you die. How does that sound?" He laughed at the expression of disgust that Danny could not hide. "And before you think you're going to get free, let me assure you, you won't. You won't be able to shout out to warm your friends, either," he added. "I'll see to that." He pulled a roll of duct tape from his pocket and taped Danny's fingers together, ending any chance he might have of freeing himself and slapped a strip across Danny's mouth.

Chuckling, Eddie gave Danny a couple of slaps on the cheek. They were given in the style of one friend to another, but there was a good deal of force behind them. "Enjoy the day," Eddie told him, and strolled off out of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

"Boss, there's no sign of Danny in any of the hospitals or morgues," Chin reported as Steve entered the office.

"Thanks," Steve replied. That was good news in a way, but they were still no closer to finding out where Danny was. He was still mulling over where he had seen Kanani before, but couldn't quite bring it to mind. "Is Kono back?"

"Yeah, just a few minutes ago," Chin nodded.

"Let's get on and do that briefing," Steve decided. "Then we can concentrate on Danny."

He darkened the office as Chin checked over the projector. Kono came in and sat down and Chin started the projector going. The picture of Kanani was briefly flashed on the wall before the changing. "Wait!" Steve cried. "Who is that?"

Pausing the projector and then rewinding it slightly, Chin brought Kanani's picture up again. "One of the group hired as protestors," he said. "Kanani…"

"I met him this morning," Steve told them excitedly. "He's Elena's brother."

The three men looked at each other. It meant something that was for sure, but what exactly? "Has he got a record?"

Again, Chin consulted his list. "Not according to this," he said. "Want me to put out a call?"

"Yes. Get someone to watch him. Find out who he associates with. I want to know everything about him as fast as we can." Steve frowned, gazing at the picture. "He must have recognised Danny," he mused.

"And when he saw da kaikaina coming to the house with his sister, he must have thought we were on to him," Kono supplied.

Nodding, Steve agreed. "Sounds plausible. And here he is, volunteering to be part of this exercise." His gaze sharpened on the Hawaiian detective. "So he's planning something to disrupt the exercise tomorrow," he hypothesised.

"That seems the most likely thing," Kono agreed. "He saw Danny and panicked. Went after him and grabbed him?"

"Yes, I would think so," McGarrett sighed. "The question is – what did he do with Danny? How did he manage to overpower him?"

"There had to have been someone else with him," Kono added. He paused and glanced down. "Do you think they killed Danny?"

"No," Steve declared firmly, then added, "I hope not."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With most of the HPD officers that could be spared involved in searching for Danny, Kono elected to watch Kanani. He changed out of his suit into a casual shirt and shorts and hid his features beneath a big hat. Since Kanani seemed to be involved in a plot to cause trouble, there was a pretty fair chance – a certainty, Kono thought – that he would know what the Five-O detectives looked like. His 'disguise' was not much, but enough of his face would be shaded by the hat to make identifying him difficult at the least. He made sure to find a place to sit that made it look like he was just out enjoying the sun. His car was parked nearby but out of sight of Kanani's house.

It was slow going, but stakeouts usually were. Kono had plenty of patience. He had brought something to drink, snack on and 'read'. It was impossible to concentrate on the magazine he'd brought because his mind was constantly working on the little information they had, going over and over it in the hope that something would jump out at him. He was worried about Danny. He had a creeping premonition that something truly awful was going to happen the next day and Danny would somehow be at the centre of it.

There was a man walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the road. Kono had been there about three hours by then and would soon have to move and find somewhere else to station himself. He looked at the man, and something about him made the big detective pay closer attention. Several people had walked by as Kono sunned himself. To anyone looking at him curiously, he had raised a friendly hand and they had walked on.

This man was walking at a medium pace, looking neither left nor right. Kono turned a page and shifted his position slightly to get a better view. The man went straight to Kanani's house and knocked. Kanani opened the door and the man went in.

It was all Kono could do not to jump to his feet and dash straight back to his car. He waited for several minutes, even turning another page of his magazine before he glanced at his watch, ostentatiously stretched, shook his empty water bottle and got to his feet, yawning. He ambled away after picking up his trash. Inside, his heart was racing. He knew who Kanani's friend was and that was not good news!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Steve!" Kono burst through the office door and ignored his boss's frown. His news was almost certainly more important than Steve's phone call, unless Steve was being told that Danny had been found.

It seemed not. "I have to go," Steve said into the phone and hung up. "What is it?" His nerves were being stretched as the day wore on and there was no sign of Danny.

"Someone came to Kanani's house," Kono reported. "Boss, it was Eddie!"

"Eddie!" Steve hissed through his teeth. The man was a slippery as a snake and just as deadly. "Take some men and go and pick them up."

As Kono left, Steve turned to look out of the window. "Hang on, Danno," he urged. "I'm coming."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

By the time Kono got to Kanani's house, Eddie was gone. Kanani was there and quickly placed under arrest. Elena was brought in, too, although she wasn't seriously suspected of being an accomplice. However, Kono didn't want to risk Eddie returning and finding out Kanani had been arrested. It was one thing for the criminal to suspect it, but another to know it for sure. If Eddie had Danny, his life would already bin in jeopardy. Steve did not want to risk Danny's life on something the girl might say. He resolutely refused to believe that Danny might be dead.

The problem was that Kanani was not saying anything during questioning. He sat in stony-faced silence, looking past or through Steve as the big man tried every trick he knew to make Kanani crack. Elena had answered the questions put to her easily enough, but she clearly didn't know anything about her brother's possible involvement in Danny's disappearance. She suspected he might be involved but simply did not know for sure. Steve privately thought that if she did know who Eddie was, she was wise to bury her head in the sand, but that wasn't getting them any nearer finding Danny or discovering what Eddie's plans were for the following day. Steve sat behind his desk with his head in his hands, trying to think of something he could say that would make Kanani talk.

"Eat something," Chin urged, putting down a box of takeout.

"I'm not hungry," Steve protested.

"Eat it, even so," Chin told him. "You need to keep your strength up to help Danny." If guilt would make the big man eat, Chin was willing to play that card. Steve wouldn't be any help to Danny if he didn't keep his strength up. He kept his gaze level as Steve attempted to stare him down. After a moment, the big man nodded and opened the box.

"You play mean," he complained.

"Whatever works," Chin grinned. He was pleased to see Steve eat the whole thing.

Much as he hated to admit it, Steve did feel better for eating. He sighed, then went back to question Kanani some more.


	5. Chapter 5

The four sticks of dynamite were strapped tightly around his waist. Danny had not been able to see clearly, but some sort of timer was fixed to light a fuse that would burn across his torso and ignite the dynamite. Danny would be blown to smithereens and anyone close to him would be, at best, seriously injured. The explosives were hidden by a large poncho that also hid his manacled hands.

Oh, he had fought, trying to break free from this mad man who was planning so much death and destruction. Danny was terrified, but more by the fact that he was being forced to be an unwilling accomplice in this act of potential mass murder. Eddie had smacked Danny a bit, subduing him, concentrating his blows on the slighter man's body where the bruises would be hidden. Danny thought perhaps he had broken ribs. He was weakened by the day bound to a tree and he felt feverish and unwell. He was desperately thirsty again, but with his teeth glued together under the mouth guards, he knew water was not on the agenda.

Still barefoot, although no longer hobbled, Danny was led through the streets towards the designated area for the exercise. Eddie had a death grip on the back of his neck which would probably pass as a friendly gesture to the casual glance. Every movement hurt, but Danny was determined that he was not going to allow innocent people to be hurt or killed. The thought of his own death was terrifying but he couldn't see any way around it.

He and Eddie were among the first to arrive, attaching themselves to a large group of youngsters who were laughing and joking. Danny tried to speak, but the only sound he could make was an unintelligible grunt. Eddie's hand had tightened threateningly on the back of his neck, the thumb caressing his carotid artery. Danny subsided.

It wasn't long before the exercise got going. Police were everywhere, but Eddie kept them in the middle of the crowd, hidden by other people. The crowd was enthusiastic and good natured and comprised men, women and children.

After a while, Eddie started pushing the people around them and when they resisted the pushing, he pushed even more until the whole crowd was one seething mass of people on the move, spreading towards the boundaries that the police had set. It was another hot day and tempers were beginning to fray. The pushing became shoving and it looked as though the peaceful 'demonstration' might turn nasty. That was exactly what Eddie wanted. He grinned at Danny. Danny's head was pounding. He was becoming increasingly unsteady on his feet as dehydration and the beatings he had sustained took their toll and the surging of the crowd around him made him nauseous.

Suddenly, through a gap in the crowd, Danny spotted Steve. For one miraculous moment, he thought his boss had seen him, for Steve appeared to be looking directly at him, but then the big man glanced away and Danny's heart sank. He knew he had to do something soon, but what? The exercise was drawing to a close, with the 'dignitary' doing a 'meet and greet'. This was what Eddie had been waiting for. He let go of Danny and reached to press the timer. It had a 30 second delay before the fuse would ignite.

Sensing what was coming, Danny dodged. Eddie went after him and grabbed his arm, pulling viciously. With difficulty, Danny retained his footing. A blade appeared in Eddie's hand and for a second, Danny hesitated. Eddie hit the switch and swung the blade, underhand, at Danny. Thanks to the voluminous folds of the concealing poncho, he missed hitting anything vital, but left a long, deep cut in Danny's side. Eddie pressed the timer, dropped the knife and turned to leave, but their scuffle had drawn attention and police officers were moving in. Eddie spotted them and it was his turn to hesitate.

Gasping in pain, feeling suddenly light-headed, Danny knew that he had to get out of the crowd. He could feel the timer vibrating against his stomach. As Eddie darted away, Danny saw the ornamental fountain and pool through the crowd. It might be the answer he was looking for and he gathered his dwindling strength and staggered towards it, pushing desperately through the crowds, knowing that he had only seconds before disaster struck.

"Stop!" cried a voice, but Danny ignored it. Someone else shouted, but the sandy-haired detective kept going, limping and staggering towards his objective.

"Danny!" That was Steve's voice and although Danny wanted nothing more than to shout a warning, he knew he had to keep going. As he reached his objective, he drew in as deep a breath as he could and threw himself into the water mere seconds after the fuse ignited against his skin.

The water closed over his head. It was deeper than he had thought and the poncho was immediately a dead weight, moulding itself to his body and further trapping his arms. The fuse had died on contact with the water, negating the threat, but Danny realised, with a surge of panic, that he was going to drown there, because he couldn't fight his way back to the surface.

Then, suddenly, he was buffeted violently as another person launched themselves into the fountain and he felt hands on his body. His head broke the surface and he gulped in air, half expecting his assailant to dunk him back under the water.

"Danno! Danno, are you all right?" It was Steve, standing more than knee-deep in the water, seemingly oblivious of how wet he was, for he pulled his second-in-command closer as he saw how pale Danny was.

Relief almost finished Danny. He was held in Steve's arms and he was safe now. His vision wavered before finally settling. He coughed slightly, and tasted the fountain water in his mouth. He must have breathed some of it in.

"Here." That was another familiar voice; Kono. Danny thought he should really open his eyes and reassure them, but since he had no recollection of closing them, he decided against it. He couldn't talk anyway.

Together, Kono and Chin took Danny from Steve and set him on the ground, supporting him while Steve climbed out of the fountain. Chin stripped the sodden poncho off gently.

"Get an ambulance," McGarrett called to one of the HPD officers. There were ambulances on duty, so there wouldn't be any wait for one to arrive. Steve crouched by his friend and unlocked the handcuffs that had kept him captive for so long, then cautiously removed the belt with the wet dynamite. "Danno, open your eyes," he urged. "Danno!"

Wearily, Danny forced his eyes open. He focused on Steve with a bit of difficulty. "Who did this to you?" Steve asked. "Was it Eddie?" HPD had caught the criminal before he could make good his escape. Danny nodded. "Can you speak?" Steve asked more gently as he handed the dynamite to Chin.

In reply, Danny shook his head and cautiously parted his lips as much as he could to show them the guards in his mouth. Steve automatically reached to remove them, but Danny drew his head back.

"What is it?" Steve asked, deeply concerned. "Is your mouth sore?" He was confused when Danny nodded, then shook his head. He frowned thoughtfully. "Danno, are those somehow stuck in your mouth?"

Relieved that Steve understood, for he had had no idea how to explain it, Danny nodded and his eyes closed again. He was so tired and his body hurt so much. His arms hung limply by his sides, the lacerations on his wrists mute testimony of his struggles to escape.

"Stay awake!" Steve commanded sharply, afraid that Danny might sink into a sleep from which he would not waken again. He could see the blood soaking through Danny's shirt and he had no idea what other injuries his friend might have sustained. He couldn't bear the thought of getting Danny back, just to have him snatched away again.

With a disconsolate sigh, Danny again forced his eyes open in time to see Chin Ho returning with ambulance attendants. He was carefully placed on a stretcher. It felt wonderful to lie down.

"Why don't you go with him?" Chin suggested to Steve. "We'll get this lot to the lab and bring you a change of clothes."

"All right," Steve agreed. He knew he should go and interrogate Eddie, but now that Danny had been found, the big man could feel his fatigue pulling at his soul. Eddie was not going anywhere and besides, Danny needed to give a statement to someone.

He climbed into the ambulance and sat down. Danny appeared to have fallen asleep. Steve gently patted his hand, surprised and concerned at how hot the young detective's skin was. The ambulance started to move, the sirens wailing and Steve knew it wouldn't be long before he could hand Danny over to Doc Bergman.


	6. Chapter 6

At any other time, Doc would have banned Steve from the treatment room, but there was something about Steve's face that told the doctor that Steve needed to be with his friend.

"Danny's clothes are evidence," Steve quietly told Doc as Danny's limp body was transferred to an exam table. "I also need a full list of his injuries and what might have caused them. He's got mouth guards in that seem to be stuck together. Certainly, he can't talk."

"Thanks," Bergman replied. He went over to Danny and nudged his shoulder. "Wake up for me, Danny," he urged gently. He gestured to the nurse to remove Danny's soaked clothing. Steve handed her a bag to put them into.

Slowly, Danny's eyes opened. He winced as the bright lights above him hit his eyes. "I'm just going to examine you," Doc told him and Danny nodded. His headache was worse than ever and he felt shivery and cold and ill. He braced himself as much as he could for the examination, but he was too sore to keep his muscles tensed and he winced miserably throughout.

Finally, Doc's hands stopped and Danny sighed in relief. "Danny, I'm going to hook you up to an IV," Doc told him. "I'm going to give you something for pain, then I'm going to get those things out of your mouth. Then x-ray will come and I'll get some pictures. After that, you can sleep. Deal?" The weary young man nodded.

Once the IV was in place, Doc beckoned to Steve, who stood quietly watching in a corner. "Steve, I'm going to need your help here." At once, Steve went over to his side. "I want you to put your hands on Danny's head and hold it still, like this." He demonstrated. "Nurse, I want you to hold his lips back gently. Danny, you must not move, do you understand? Just stay absolutely still." With his assistants in place, Doc picked up a fresh scalpel and adjusted the light. Very slowly and very carefully, he started to cut through the mouth guards.

It was a tediously slow business, for Doc had to be extremely careful that he didn't cut through the plastic into Danny's gums below. Piece by tiny piece, with lots of rests for both him and his patient, he cut through the mouth guards and removed them until finally, Danny was able to open his mouth. At once, the young man opened his mouth wide and flexed his jaw. He could still taste the glue and there was some blood in his mouth, too, but Doc had done a miraculous job of prising the glued plastic from his gums without really hurting him.

"Here, have a few ice chips," Doc offered. Danny eagerly opened his mouth for them. He wanted more, but he knew from Doc's face that those few would be his limit for a while. A bump at the door announced the arrival of the x-ray machine, so Doc, Steve and the nurse went outside.

"How is he, Doc?" Steve asked.

"Severely dehydrated," Doc replied. "He looks like he has heat exhaustion, too, but I won't know that for sure till I can take his temperature. He has muscle strain in his arms and he'll probably find them pretty much useless for a day or so. I want to keep an eye on those lacerations on his wrists. I suspect he has a mild concussion, but I'll know more after I see the x-rays. I don't think there are any broken bones, but his feet are in a mess. Badly cut and maybe infected. He's got quite a few insect bites, too. And of course, there's the knife wound in his side. It isn't too deep, but it will need stitches. What happened to him?"

"We don't know all the details yet," Steve admitted, "but he was kidnapped by a pretty notorious criminal who intended to blow up some people in the crowd at the exercise this morning. Danny had several sticks of dynamite strapped to him. He threw himself in the fountain to stop them going off."

"Right." Bergman was frowning. "I'll need to check his lungs to make sure he hasn't breathed in any water. He'll be here for a few days at least, Steve."

Unhappy that his friend was in such bad condition, but relieved that it was no worse, Steve nodded, his jaw tight. "I'll have a few words with him before I go back to the Iolani Palace," he stated. Bergman knew that Steve needed to get the story while it was still fresh in Danny's mind.

"All right," he agreed. "But go easy with him." It was superfluous advice; he knew Steve wouldn't do anything to upset Danny.

As the x-ray machine left the room, they went back in. As Doc started to take Danny's temperature, Steve looked at his friend. The young detective was covered to the waist by a sheet and Steve could see the bruises on his body. There was a red mark in the centre of his chest and the detective surmised that it was from the fuse on the explosives. He could feel his temper growing. With an effort, he suppressed it and went over to smile down on his second in command. "How're you doing?"

"All right," Danny replied, hoarsely. With Doc's nodded permission, Steve gave Danny some more ice chips. "Steve, I was snatched by Eddie and a guy called…" He screwed up his face as the name eluded him. Had he ever known it? He didn't know any more.

"Kanani," Steve supplied. "Elena's brother."

That settled things. Danny had not known his name. "They took me – I don't know where. A good distance in a car and then some walking."

"You couldn't see where you were going?" Steve asked gently.

"No, they had put a hood over my head," Danny replied. "I was cuffed with my own handcuffs. When we got to – wherever it was, Eddie tied me to a tree and gagged me with a bit of my shirt. I was there all night and all the next day. Eddie came for me sometime last night and put those things in my mouth and hooded me again." Danny's voice was shaking and he stopped to regain some control. His shivering intensified and Doc silently got a blanket from the warmer. "I tried to escape," he went on after a minute, "but I couldn't get away. Eddie wanted to blow me up and take as many people with me as he could." Danny glanced up at the older man. "Nobody got hurt, did they?" Everything after his dive into the fountain was a bit blurred.

"No, nobody got hurt," Steve soothed. "Except you," he added in a teasing tone.

"That doesn't matter." Danny was fading fast, exhaustion adding to the overwhelming feeling of illness. Doc indicated to Steve to stop now, but Steve already had what he needed. Danny could sign a statement later. What he needed now was rest, sleep and food. "Can I sleep now?" he asked wearily.

"You sleep," Doc agreed and followed Steve out into the corridor. "He's definitely got heat stroke and that red patch on his chest is first degree burning. It won't scar. His feet are definitely infected and I'm going to sedate him to debride them. There's all sorts of stuff in there. You go away for a few hours and do whatever policemen do in these situations then phone me and I'll let you know how he's doing and when you can visit."

"All right," Steve agreed. He was keen to get back to question Eddie, but having come in the ambulance, he had no immediate form of transport to take him back. However, he remembered that Kono and Chin had promised to bring him dry clothing and they should soon be there. In fact, thinking about them conjured them at once and after being reassured by Doc that Danny was going to be okay, they all returned to the Iolani Palace.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N This chapter is rated T for violence.

As Steve went into the interrogation room, the big Hawaiian man sitting cuffed to the chair didn't even look over at him. Eddie stared stonily head with an impressive show of indifference.

Comfortably dry now, Steve leaned against the wall and folded his arms, studying Eddie. It was the first time he had really seen him up close in the flesh. Eddie looked to be somewhere in his 30s, but it was difficult to be sure. He had probably looked the same way for about 10 years and would doubtless continue to look much the same for the next 10 years. His skin was a smooth nut brown and he wore his dark hair very long. At the moment, it was pulled back and wound around itself in a rough pony tail and Steve hid a smile. No doubt whatever had been holding his hair back before his arrest had been confiscated in case he tried to harm himself with it. His clothing was casual Hawaiian surfer wear and he had flip-flops on his bare feet. He had a broad chest and his weight appeared to be mostly solid muscle. His large hands had sausage-shaped fingers that suggested that his muscles would soon start turning to fat unless he did something about it. His massive biceps strained the thin cotton fabric of his brightly coloured shirt.

Steve hadn't realised his scrutiny had lasted so long, but Eddie moved for the first time, glancing disinterestedly at the big detective for a second before fixing his gaze on the wall once more.

It was a victory, Steve thought. A small one to be sure, but still a victory. Steve smiled. He liked a challenge and Eddie owed him a debt.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

It was well into the evening before Eddie was back in his cell. He had remained annoyingly indifferent to Steve's attempts to get him to talk. As far as he was concerned, what he had been attempting to do needed no justification or explanation. His silence had provoked the tall detective into several shows of temper, but Eddie appeared unimpressed. While it would have been good to have had Eddie's confession, Danny's testimony would get them a conviction without any trouble. Kono had reported that Kanani had been singing like a bird and had told him that Danny had been held in the wooded area of Diamond Head Beach Park. They would go out there tomorrow with Kanani to see the site for themselves.

Rather than phone the hospital, Steve decided he would just go down. He would see Danny for a few moments and then get something to eat on the way home. He didn't expect his number two to be awake, but he was. As Steve entered the small room, Danny turned his head on the pillow and smiled. "Hi, Steve," he said.

"Hi, yourself," Steve replied, relived to see the smile. Danny looked a lot better than he had earlier in the day, but he was still hooked up to an IV with a couple of bags dripping into his veins. "How're you feeling?" He sat down on the edge of the bed.

"A lot better," Danny admitted. "I never did get the chance to thank you for this morning."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, smiling but perplexed.

"You saved me from drowning in the fountain," Danny reminded him. "Mahalo."

"Bet you never knew I was good at fishing," McGarrett parried. "What's Doc saying about you?"

"I'll be here for a few days," Danny sighed. "Until my feet have started to heal at least." He made a face. "But I'm fine, honestly."

"Sure you are," Steve agreed. "You get some rest and I'll be back to see you tomorrow."

"All right," Danny nodded. "Steve – you did get Eddie, didn't you? I did tell you it was him…"

"You told me," Steve interrupted. "And we've got him. He isn't going anywhere."

"Good," Danny sighed and rested his head back on the pillows. Steve patted his hand.

"Good night, Danno," he smiled and left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was about a week before Danny was released as fit for duty. Everyone was glad; Danny because he was bored sitting at home with, literally, his feet up as they healed; Steve and the others because they missed him around the office and lastly because Eddie was still languishing in the cells, waiting for Danny to be fit to testify in court.

The hearing before the judge was arranged for the morning that Danny returned. He had given Steve a full statement the day after he was rescued. Kono, Chin and Che Fong had visited the site where Danny had been held, but there wasn't much to see. However, what little there was, was dynamite. The scrap of Danny's shirt that had been used as a gag was still lying on the ground. Traces of Danny's blood had been taken from the bark of the tree he had been tied to. The case against Eddie was tight. Kanani was willing to testify and had made a deal with the prosecutor – rather as Eddie had done for years.

As they drove to the court room, Steve found himself eyeing Danny covertly. He looked well, his colour good, but Steve had noticed that he still walked gingerly, as though his feet were still sore. When asked, Danny had denied it outright, but Steve knew that impulse. He couldn't remember the number of times he had told the others – principally Danny – that he was all right when he clearly wasn't. But the job had to get done and some minor discomfort came with the territory.

There seemed to be an awful lot of people milling about excitedly when they arrived. Steve pulled into a parking space and he and Danny shared a glance. Something was going on and they were immediately concerned that it involved the case they were there for.

Instinct proved correct. A uniformed HP officer met them at the door. "Eddie broke free of his guard, stabbed a bailiff and is holed up in one of the meeting rooms with his attorney as a hostage."

"What!" Alarmed, Steve looked at Danny. "Get the others down here, now," he ordered. "Get all the civilians out of the building and clear the area. Secure it! I don't want a mouse to get through unseen. Where is he?"

The cop pointed down the hall. "Second door on the right," he amplified.

"Stay here," McGarrett ordered and he and Danny cautiously advanced a few feet towards the door. "Eddie! It's Steve McGarrett. Come out and give yourself up."

"No way!" came the shouted reply. "I'm gonna get out of here and you're gonna help me do it." For a brief moment, Eddie showed himself, well shielded by the man who was apparently his lawyer. The man had been severely beaten to the point where he was unrecognisable. "If you don't want worse to happen, listen good. I'll let him go, but only if Williams there takes his place. Then Williams and me will walk out of here together and I'll drive away. Later, I'll tell you where you can find him."

"No dice!" Steve replied, appalled.

"Do you know how long it takes a man to die if you torture him?" Eddie asked, his tone purely conversational. He held up one of his hostage's hands and casually broke a finger. A scream was wrenched from those bloody lips. Steve felt Danny stiffen beside him. "If you don't do as I say, this man will suffer a long and lingering death." He grinned at the two detectives. "You have five minutes." He dragged his captive back inside the room.

"We've got to do it," Danny mumbled.

At once, Steve shot him a glare. "We'll talk him out of there."

"Steve, come on. You saw what he's done to that guy already. Eddie is completely without compassion; I should know," Danny added feelingly. "But we can't leave him in there. Let me swap places with him. You can organise a car and have road blocks set up. I might be able to take him down before it gets to that length."

While Danny was a handy man to have in a fight, quick on his feet and not prone to panic, he was slight compared to the muscular Eddie. "There are too many holes in that plan," Steve declared, pursing his lips. "Too much could go wrong."

"Don't you think I know that?" Danny argued. "Look, if worst comes to worst, I'll make sure we drive off the road somewhere. Steve, we don't have time to argue about this. We need to get people in place and standing here arguing about it won't get that done."

For a long moment, Steve thought about it. Danny tried to hide his fear. He was afraid Steve would agree and he was conversely afraid that Steve would not agree. "Danno," Steve said, his voice almost inaudible. "Are you sure?"

His tone left Danny in no doubts that his boss hated the plan, but couldn't come up with anything else. "I'm sure," Danny replied. Steve gave him a long look before stepping back and speaking urgently to the cop they had left in the hall behind them. Danny looked down the corridor.

He hoped he hadn't just made the worst decision of his life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

"Your five minutes are up!" Eddie called.

"We agree to your terms," Steve replied. "We'll need a few minutes to get the car out front. It is on its way."

"Send Williams down now and you can have this guy," Eddie said. "Williams better not be armed or wired. Make him take his coat off."

Danny had already handed Steve his weapon and handcuffs for safekeeping. He obligingly slipped his suit jacket off and also handed it over. "I'm not wired," he called.

"For your sake, you better not be," Eddie warned. "All right, come here."

"Let the other man go first," Steve demanded. He had visions of Eddie having two hostages.

"Not until Williams is on his way," Eddie declared.

"It's okay, Steve," Danny murmured. "I might get the chance to rush him now." They were pretty certain that Eddie was not armed, although there was no way to be sure. "Just be ready." Without looking at Steve again, Danny took the first step in what he thought might be the longest walk he had ever taken.

That Eddie was cunning was not in doubt. He took a couple of steps towards the approaching detective and Danny braced himself to attack the bigger man. He already knew from experience what Eddie's fists felt like and it was something he had no desire to feel again. He had never felt dread like this in his life. Only to himself could he admit how afraid of Eddie he actually was.

As he watched Danny, Steve's heart contracted with pride and apprehension – he refused to call it fear. Danny was a good man, a good cop and Steve's closest friend. Steve hated to see Danny put himself in danger like this, but he understood the impulse. It was what he himself did when innocent lives were at stake. For a moment, he flashed back to the time Danny was shot and held hostage by a Marine who had a head injury. Steve had moved heaven and earth to save his friend's life and he would do no less now to ensure a good outcome.

As Danny advanced down the corridor, the injured lawyer who was being held hostage began to look as though he would pass out. Danny hoped the man would be able to hold it together long enough to get to safety because the last thing they needed was another hostage.

When Danny was only a step away, Eddie gave the lawyer a vicious push and grabbed for Danny.

This was the moment Danny had been waiting for. He grabbed back and pulled as hard as he could, swinging his fist at the criminal's face. For a moment, Eddie seemed caught by surprise and Danny thought he might prevail. Eddie seemed genuinely surprised, but he recovered fast and Danny's punch only grazed his jaw.

As Danny dived into action, Steve had also moved, heading down the corridor towards the action. He was side-tracked by the lawyer, who literally collapsed into his arms. By reflex, Steve caught the man, glancing around frantically for someone to come and take this man before Danny got into trouble.

It was too late for that. Danny was already in trouble. Eddie had rallied quickly and used Danny's grip on his arm against the detective, reeling him in close and sending a punch crashing into his solar plexus before crashing another punch into Danny's face. Blood poured from Danny's nose and mouth.

When Danny regained his breath, he found himself on his knees, his left arm twisted painfully up his back and his plan in tatters.

Breathing heavily, Eddie smiled at Steve. It wasn't a pleasant expression. "Now get me that car," Eddie ordered, "or Williams will pay the price." He exerted a bit more pressure on Danny's arm, causing the detective to gasp out loud.

"It'll take a few more minutes," Steve replied coldly, holding on to his anger, not willing to let Eddie see how much Danny's capture was affecting him.

"Don't take too long," Eddie warned and dragged his prisoner into the room and slamming and locking the door behind him.

"Where's that car?" Steve demanded of the nearest HP officer. "Where's the rest of my team?" He thought furiously for a moment. "And get me some tear gas."


	8. Chapter 8

Flinging Danny to the floor, Eddie locked the door behind him. As Danny pushed himself to his knees, he wondered where Eddie had got the key from. His left arm was numb except for his shoulder, which burned with pain and his arm hung limply by his side, but Danny was determined to show no pain or fear. He got to his feet and turned to face his captor. Eddie was sitting at the bare table, a long silvery blade in his hands. Danny recognised it as a paper knife. "So what now?" he asked.

"Now, Detective Williams, we wait for that car and I hope for your sake it doesn't take too long to arrive." Eddie gently ran his thumb over the flat of the blade.

"What do you hope to achieve?" Danny asked.

"Escape, obviously," Eddie sneered. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life in prison. I'm too big for that."

"The bigger they are the harder they fall," Danny remarked, disappointed that Eddie hadn't said more about his plans. Eddie laughed.

"The very biggest never fall," he boasted. "I'm not going down." He looked supremely confident and Danny longed to wipe that smug look off his face. "Now, to get down to business. I don't suppose you brought your handcuffs? No? Never mind. Take your shoes and socks off."

"No," Danny replied. He had no idea what Eddie had in mind, but he wasn't going to make things easier for him by cooperating, regardless of the consequences to himself.

"You don't want to annoy me by refusing again," Eddie warned, his tone changing from conversational to menacing in a single heartbeat. "Take off your socks and shoes. Now!"

Danny shook his head. His mouth was bone dry, but his face was expressionless. With a sigh, Eddie rose.

"You are being tiresome," he complained. "You've got five seconds."

"No." Danny braced himself, hoping that his left arm would obey commands to fight, but he was none too sanguine about it. The numbness had been replaced by tingling pain.

Despite being prepared, Danny wasn't quick enough to completely dodge Eddie's lunge. The big Hawaiian was incredibly quick on his feet. The first blow caught Danny on the ear and drove him to his knees. Danny pushed off the floor and used the position to add some momentum to his punch as he jumped up.

He barely made contact as Eddie sidestepped and drove an elbow into Danny's kidneys, knocking him to his knees again, gasping in pain. Eddie whirled and followed up with a blow to the back of the neck and Danny went down on his face, conscious, but dazed. Eddie kneeled on his back.

"It's always easier to cooperate," Eddie panted, pulling off Danny's footwear. Danny fought as best he could, kicking viciously and grabbing for the long hair that was so tantalisingly near yet so frustratingly out of reach, but the big man's weight was too much for him, stealing away his breath. His hands were yanked behind his back, eliciting a yelp of pain as the injured left shoulder was jerked, and his hands were tied firmly behind him by his own shoelaces.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Car's here, boss," Kono reported. He knew that Steve was anxiously waiting for the next step in the process so that he could get Danny out of Eddie's clutches. The young detective had already suffered too much at the criminal's hands.

"Good. Is the tear gas ready?"

"Ready," Chin agreed.

"You both know what to do," Steve reminded them, almost asking but not quite. These were his men; they knew their jobs.

"We know," Chin agreed. He and Kono disappeared back down the corridor.

Taking a deep breath, Steve called, "The car is here."

After a few moments, he heard the key turning in the lock and moments later, Eddie and Danny appeared. Eddie's arm was round Danny's shoulder and a knife was held against his throat. His face was bloody and he looked as though he was in pain. Steve couldn't see what was securing his hands behind his back, but it was clearly causing him some discomfort. Another glance showed that Danny was barefoot and Steve wondered why. He hoped that Danny was in good enough condition to endure what was coming next, but he had no way to alert his young second-in-command. They had to act and act now to end this situation.

The knife at Danny's throat changed the state of play a bit. Steve had been working on the premise that there were no weapons involved, for the injured lawyer had assured him he didn't carry a gun. Quite where the knife had come from, Steve didn't know, but it did give him pause. He had planned to use the tear gas to free Danny from Eddie's clutches. While the effects of tear gas were not at all pleasant, they weren't life threatening or permanent and Danny would recover. Now, Steve had to re-think. Tear gas was effective, but not disabling in the first moments. The big Hawaiian would see the gas and have time to cut Danny's throat before he was overcome. Gritting his teeth, Steve knew he would have to abandon the tear gas. He hissed a command to that effect over his shoulder.

"The car's out back," he said curtly. He saw Danny cock his head slightly at the tone. Danny knew him too well. He knew that something wasn't going to plan. Hell that was an understatement. Nothing was going to plan!

"Suits me," Eddie replied. "Lead the way, pig."

Exchanging a speaking glance with Chin and Kono, Steve did as he was told, leading the way to the back of the court building, which he hoped was fully screened from the TV cameras. The moment they were out of sight, Kono and Chin hurried out of the front, and round the side. Kono got into his car and Chin positioned himself where he might have a chance of shooting out Eddie's tires. It was a difficult shot, but all they could do was try.

The car appeared a few minutes later. Neither man cared to speculate on what Eddie had been doing during those few minutes, but they sincerely hoped that it didn't involve Steve getting injured in some manner trying to rescue Danny. Eddie wasn't worrying about speed limits or pedestrians or anyone getting in his way. He floored the pedal, screeching the tires. Chin went for his shot and knew at once that he had missed. The bullet pinged off the side door of the car and it kept going.

At once, Chin jumped to his feet and ran over to Kono's car. From the back of the building, he saw Steve running towards them and thankfully noted that there was no sign of any blood. Chin jumped into the back seat and left the front one for Steve. As he leapt in, Kono gunned the engine and pulled away.

"Good try, Chin," Steve offered. "It was always going to be a long shot." He kept his eyes front. "Don't lose him, Kono."

"No way," Kono promised. "What happened back there, boss?"

"He made me lie on the floor while he got Danny into the car," Steve replied. "This guy has to be stopped!"


	9. Chapter 9

Eddie's driving wasn't going to win any prizes and Danny jettisoned the thoughts of somehow opening the car door and flinging himself out. At this speed, that was suicide. He had to do something though. There was no telling where they might end up and the last thing Danny wanted was to end up dead.

He forced himself to pay attention to where they were going, trying to ignore the numbness that was growing in his hands. The laces cut into his flesh and his left arm and shoulder were screaming in agony. He kept his face impassive as he looked around. Were they heading back to Diamond Head Beach Park? He repressed a shudder. He had to stop Eddie and stop him now.

It was too dangerous to do anything on the crowded streets of town. Danny had to wait until they were on quieter, open roads. He didn't want to be responsible for killing anyone. Waiting was agony. Danny's glance flashed to the knife that lay on the seat between them. Eddie caught the look. "Go on," he laughed. "Try for it and see where it gets you." He was so confident that he didn't even put his hand on the blade. If Danny had had any moments of doubt, that laugh settled them. He braced himself, biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment. It would come.

It had to come.

They exited the city onto the open road and Danny knew he had to act at once. They were already driving at breakneck speed and what he had planned would have worse consequences if they were going even faster. He pushed off with his bound hands and threw himself across the seat, bodily knocking Eddie's arm off the steering wheel. The car swerved wildly and Eddie fought the wheel and tried to push Danny back. Danny resisted and pushed again. One handed, it took Eddie a few more moments to recover control, and Danny was not letting up the momentum. More and more of Eddie's attention was taken up with fending his prisoner off and keeping the car on the road was getting more and more difficult. He braked sharply, bringing the vehicle to a sudden stop, fishtailing all over the road.

It had the desired effect, in that they were no longer moving, but the braking caught Danny by surprise and he crashed forward, his head striking the windshield. For a horrible instant, all he saw were stars. He blinked sharply to try to clear his vision. He could feel blood trickling down his forehead, but he still had work to do and even feeling as bad as he did didn't excuse him from doing it. He lunged at Eddie once more.

With the car stationary, Eddie had both hands free to deal with his recalcitrant hostage. He easily parried Danny's lunge and pushed the detective back to the other side of the car with all his might. Danny flopped backwards, just barely avoiding striking his head again and kicked uselessly. Eddie pinned him down with one large hand and scrabbled under Danny's thigh to find the knife.

That was one part of the plan that had gone the way Danny wanted. The knife was no longer on the seat. It had been knocked onto the floor and Danny planted a foot on top of it. He wriggled in such a way that he hoped suggested that the knife was still between him and the seat, but Eddie, sadly, was no fool and he realised that the knife had to be on the floor.

"Dammit!" he cursed and with one twist of his wrist, he shoved Danny off the seat to the floor and gave him a kick for good measure. The kick dislodged the knife, which spun off amongst the pedals. Danny was helplessly floundering, trying to get up, but not having any leverage. He felt the car start moving with a pang of dismay. He had failed.

After a second, he realised that all might not be lost after all. He couldn't get his body off the floor, but his legs were free. He immediately stretched out, striking Eddie's legs hard with his own before kicking up to try and intercept the wheel.

The move caught Eddie by surprise and as he tried to kick his hostage's legs aside, he stopped paying attention to the road and glanced down, furious that Danny was not just going along quietly. He was going to enjoy killing this pig!

Regaining control by grabbing one of Danny's legs in his hand, Eddie looked up and let out a scream. It was too late to make any kind of evasive manoeuvre. They were headed off the side of the road and into a deep, water-filled ditch!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

"Look!" Kono exclaimed, pointing ahead, as though their attention was anywhere except on the fleeing vehicle in front of them.

The car in front swerved wildly across the road before stopping for several seconds, allowing the pursing cops to catch up a few precious yards. Then the other car started going again, gaining speed rapidly.

"It's Danno!" Steve breathed, terrified that Danny would be hurt but also very proud that the young detective was not meekly going to submit to Eddie. "He's doing that."

"No!" Chin cried moments later. He was leaning so far forward between the seats that he was all but sitting in the front beside the others.

"Danny!" Steve gasped in anguish as the other car fishtailed across the road and down into a ditch.

As Kono floored the accelerator, the big car leapt forward, closing the distance in mere seconds. As the car screeched to a halt, Steve and Kono leapt out of the car as Chin grabbed the radio to call for an ambulance.

The sides of the ditch were steep, but neither man hesitated. They plunged down, one on either side of the vehicle. The stagnant water in the ditch came up to their knees, but they didn't even notice.

The car wasn't quite submerged, although it was sinking. Kono, gun drawn, looked cautiously in the driver's side window. Eddie was slumped over the wheel, his eyes closed and his body lax in what could only be full unconsciousness. Kono put a hand on Eddie's wrist, confirming that the criminal was alive. The pulse was strong and steady. Putting away his gun, Kono took out his handcuffs and applied them. He glanced at Steve. "Danny?"

Yanking open the passenger door on his third attempt, Steve almost lost his balance as it finally gave. He caught his footing without noticing he'd done it and peered into the car. For a horrible moment, Steve couldn't see his friend. Danny was crumpled deeply into the footwell, his body curled round at an uncomfortable angle.

Steve heard Kono's anxious enquiry, but ignored it, leaning in and putting his fingers to Danny's throat. The pulse there was good and strong, despite the blood on Danny's face. At Steve's touch, Danny stirred, moaning in pain. "He's alive," Steve reported, leaning further into the car. "Danno? Can you hear me?"

Another moan was the only answer and after a moment, confused blue eyes opened. "Steve?" he croaked.

"Take it easy," Steve crooned. "We'll get you out of there in a moment." He left his hand on Danny's shoulder in reassurance. "Kono? What've you got?" He looked up at the other man.

"He's alive," Kono reported. "You want to get Danny out first?"

"Yes," Steve replied, for the water was coming into the car even faster now that it had been moved and it settled into further into the ditch.

It wasn't going to be easy getting Danny out of there. Using his handkerchief to preserve prints, Steve picked up the slender knife that lay on the floor next to Danny and used it to cut his bonds. Chin took the knife and put it safely in the other car, then slithered down the banking to help Steve once more.

It was a bit easier now Danny's hands were free and he was conscious. Although dazed, he was able to move towards them and together Chin and Steve pulled Danny from the car. It took them both to get him back onto the road, then Chin went down to help Kono with Eddie, who was awake and cursing. Steve crouched by Danny, supporting him. "How do you feel?" he asked, seeing the pallor of the younger man's face.

"Tired," Danny replied. He tried to smile, but his mouth was too sore.

"Where are you hurt?" Steve asked. The nose, mouth and forehead were easy to see, but Danny's posture told Steve there was more wrong with him than he could see at a glance.

"My head," Danny mumbled. "My arm and shoulder." His headache was a monster. The sunlight was far too bright. He squinted against the light. "Eddie?" He couldn't quite hide the tremor in his voice.

"In custody," Steve assured him, glancing around as Kono and Chin walked past, supporting the big Hawaiian. "This time he won't get away." There were sirens in the distance and Steve was relieved, for Danny needed to be under a doctor's care.

"Good," Danny sighed and closed his eyes.

Still crouched by Danny's side, bearing more and more of his weight, Steve glanced up to watch Chin and Kono wrestle Eddie into the back of the car. "You go ahead and take him in," Steve ordered. "I'll go with Danno." He was trying to play it cool, but he couldn't hide his worry from the men who worked with him, day in and day out.

"You won't be able to hold me," Eddie boasted groggily.

Only Danny's trusting weight resting against him stopped Steve from leaping to his feet and burying his fist between the criminal's teeth. The look he shot the big man should have been enough to incinerate him on the spot. "Don't count on it," Steve stated. "Take him away."

"Steve." Danny's voice was quiet, his eyes dazed still, but he met his friend's gaze without flinching. "He isn't worth it," he declared.

Their gazes locked, meshed and Steve marvelled at how well this young man knew him. Danny's body sagged even more as Steve himself relaxed. "You're right," Steve agreed, his voice soft. "He isn't." The sound of the sirens drew nearer. "That's the ambulance," he told Danny. "You'll be at the hospital soon."

"Don't feel too good," Danny admitted, breaking the eye contact. It would be a relief to lie down and let the world take care of itself for a while.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Danny's injuries weren't too serious, but did merit him an overnight stay, courtesy of the bump on his forehead. He didn't have a concussion, but he did have a dreadful headache. His shoulder wasn't dislocated, as Steve had feared, but would need a couple of weeks rest in a sling. Eddie had also escaped serious injury in the accident and was taken back to court the next morning, with a whole host of other charges to answer for.

"You don't have to do this," Steve told Danny as he edged his way carefully from the passenger side of the Mercury.

"Yes, I do," Danny replied, gratefully accepting a helping tug. "'I need to see this through." He was tired from a broken night at the hospital and sore from the multitude of bruises he seemed to have acquired overnight and his shirt seemed incredibly uncomfortable and he felt slovenly without a tie on. His jacket hung loosely over his shoulders.

"Eddie is going down," Steve promised.

"I know," Danny agreed doggedly. "But I'm still not going to change my mind, Steve. I'm going in and I'll testify if the judge asks me to."

"You're stubborn!" Steve grumbled.

"I learned it from you," Danny laughed and together, they went inside to see Eddie sentenced to life imprisonment. It was a great triumph for the department and a very sweet moment personally for Steve, Danny and the others.

They left the court house and Steve ran Danny home before he returned to his office and the next case. Danny would be back at work soon, and they had plenty to keep them going until then.

From his prison across the ocean in California, Eddie did his time and plotted his revenge against two of Hawaii's finest detectives.

Pau

A/N Marsha, send me a PM and I'll tell you where to find my Emergency stories.


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